Aussie Govt's plans for Carbon Trading

Sydney -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard Sunday outlined government plans to install a carbon trading scheme during the next four years.

Speaking at a meeting of his ruling Liberal Party's Federal Council, Howard said a national cap on carbon dioxide emissions and a trade system would be in place no later than 2012.

While the opposition Labor Party has set a target of a 60 percent cut in emissions by 2050, the government has declined to name a target until next year -- after the next Australian general election.

Howard said no target should be set until "rigorous economic modelling" has been performed as climate change was an enormous economic challenge as well as an environmental one.

"The world is not going to come to an end tomorrow because of climate change ..." he said. "But equally we would be foolish indeed to ignore the accumulated scientific evidence that mankind's behavior has contributed to the process of global warming."
Howard stressed nuclear power must be included in the options for reducing emissions of carbon dioxide.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.